How Teazer Got Her Pearls
by FantabulousMe
Summary: One-Shot; In the mean time however, Mungojerrie was her best friend. With whom she was not in love with. At least, she didn't think so. Second Place in EvanneTaylor's contest!


Certainly she cared for him deeply. She loved him. But was she _in_ love with him? She didn't think so.

Not that she was opposed to the idea. She had, in fact, considered what it would be like to have him as a mate on many occasions. Then again, she'd imagined what it would be like to have practically all the male members of the tribe as a mate at one time or another. She wasn't looking for a permanent relationship just yet. In the future, when her life was perhaps a bit less dangerous, she'd consider settling down.

In the mean time however, Mungojerrie was her best friend. With whom she was not in love with. At least, she didn't think so.

* * *

Mungojerrie was fully confident in practically everyway possible. It was typical of him to do something stupid or dangerous for a job, or even just for fun. Fear was hardly in his vocabulary anymore.

That didn't explain why he was so nervous now.

He hadn't felt nervous when he'd snuck into the impressive looking mansion, nor when he'd plucked his prize from off the vanity, or when the cursed pollicle had alerted the family of his presence. He'd even chuckled when the youngest daughter had screamed at the sight of him, as he had darted expertly past her and rushed through the thankfully still ajar back door.

However, the thought of delivering his gift nearly made him faint.

_It's just a present, _he thought. _A thank you to an appreciated partner; an act of kindness to a kind, talented, endearing, beautiful..._

Mungojerrie shook his head, stopping his train of thought. Rumpleteazer was his best friend- that was all. He couldn't help but wish sometimes though, that she could consider him something more.

He didn't know exactly when it had started, him falling for her. He couldn't remember when her quirky, tom-boyish nature had become so appealing, when her giggle had begun to melt his heart, when the adorable way she pouted her lips practically made him a slave to her whims...

He shook his head again. They were friends and occasionally business partners- nothing more. The last thing Mungojerrie wanted was to risk scaring her away. He'd rather have her as only a friend than not have her at all. But even so, simply imagining her returning his feelings caused his stomach to clench. In a good way though.

He took a moment to study his loot. The pearls really were beautiful. Rumpleteazer had always had a certain weakness for fancy jewelry, and he's seen her eye similar pieces in the past. He sincerely hoped she'd like them. The thought of that smile on her pretty lips he'd get when she saw them.... actually, it was the same smile she gave him whenever she saw him. But any extra chance to see it was worth any price.

Her smile was possibly what Mungojerrie liked best about her. He still remembered the first time he'd seen it, years ago, at one of the lowest moments of his life. There he had been, bruised and bleeding, rain pouring around him, left for dead in an alley, after a job gone wrong for Macavity. And then she had come, having snuck out of her junkyard home in the middle of the night after an argument with her aunt, ignoring the bloated, foreboding clouds. She ran to him when she saw him, the pitiful sight he was, but had smiled widely when he'd stirred in her arms. He was certain that was what inspired him to live.

She had carried him back to her home, the one she shared with her motherly Aunt Jennyanydots, her enthusiastic Uncle Skimbleshanks, and her three exuberant cousins Plato, Pouncival, and Etcetera. He had recovered quickly under their kind care, and he and Rumpleteazer had been absolutely inseparable ever since.

But that was years ago though and things had changed. He had always loved her, but now he was sure he was in love with her.

* * *

Rumpleteazer grinned as Mungojerrie appeared from behind a large pile of trash. He was smiling too, but perhaps a bit too widely. She immediately suspected he was up to something and began going in her head through some of the various pranks they had played together during the years they'd known each other. There was that time with the frogs in Jenny's cushion, when they'd switched Etcetera's drinking water with Uncle Skimble's scotch, when they'd stolen Mistoffelees' bowtie, and of course the admittedly rather cruel incident involving Demeter and the Macavity vocal impersonation...

"G'day Teazer," her friend said too cheerily.

"Well 'ello Jerrie. What a' you up to today?"

"Actually," he began, turning somewhat red under his fur, "I 'ave a little somethin' for ya." He pulled out a small, roughly wrapped box from behind his back.

Her eyes lit up. "Can I open it now?" she asked, surprised but pleased.

He nodded, becoming even redder.

She beamed when she saw the long string of pearls. "Oh Jerrie, they is beautiful. Where did you get 'em?"

"I was out climbin' trees one day, saw 'em through a window, and I thought, ''ey, those pearls is a right bit gorgeous, an' I can think of a beautiful gal who'd look right stunning in 'em.'" Rumpleteazer's smile widened as she blushed slightly. "An' so I stole 'em," he finished.

"Aw Jerrie," she gushed. "Well ain't you just the sweetest boy I ever met. 'Ere, help me put 'em on," she said, turning around.

He grinned as he fastened the small loop around her neck. "So you do like 'em?"

"Oh Jerrie I love 'em."

"An' I love you," he said quietly. Rumpleteazer's eyes grew wide, and Mungojerrie's grew wider. "I-I mean," he stuttered, "that's not what I-, what I mean't was-" He was interrupted by her lightly kissing his cheek.

"Well maybe I kinda' love you too," she said.

Despite his heart fluttering from the kiss, Mungojerrie's face fell. "Only kinda'?"

"I guess I 'aven't really thought enough about it to know for sure. But I ain't opposed to it, fallin' in love with you I mean. Actually," she said, taking his hand, "I think I'd like it. A lot."

He smiled and pulled her into a gentle hug. "I'd like that too," he replied, kissing her forehead. When he pulled away he noticed a mischievous grin on her face. "Wha' are you thinkin' about?"

"Well, when you was comin' up to me, what with your goofy grin an' all, I thought you was plannin' some sort of prank or heist and I was all excited," Rumpleteazer said, pouting.

"I weren't plannin' nothin', but if you've got an idea..."

"Actually," she began innocently, "I came across this bucket o' red paint right? An' I thought, ''ey, that Bombalurina, she's a right scarlet brat now ain't she? I'm sure she wouldn't mind bein' a bit _mo'_ red."

"I'm sure she wouldn' mind a' all," he said, matching her angelic tone.

"Well then, what are we waitin' for?" Rumpleteazer's fingers intertwined with Mungojerrie's and, as they ran off to set up their latest plan, she decided that maybe, just maybe, she was in love with him.

* * *

**Not that you probably care, but this is admittedly my first story, so for the sake of acknowledgment, a review or two would be nice :)**


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